Clutch mechanism.



No. 802,688. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905..

J. HARDTNG, JR.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAKE, 1905.

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No. 802,688. PATENTED 001224, 1905. J. HARDING, JR. CLUTCH MEUHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAKS, 1005.

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No. 802,688. PATENTBD OCT. 24, 1905. J. HARDING, JR. CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED mma, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Mfg iw/4 x NTED STATES JOHN HARDING, JR., OF NASHVILLE,TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN T.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application iiled March 8, 1905. Serial No. 249,020.

To all 1,071,017?, it may cm1/cern,.-

Be it known that I, Jol-1N HARDING, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clutch Mechanism, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to clutch mechanism in which liquid isemployed as an agent for connecting a driving and a driven part.

My primary object is to provide clutch mechanism of this characterpossessing great durability and capable of being constructed readilywith such accuracy of parts as to insure perfectly tight joints andsmooth operation.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l represents a side elevational View of my improved clutchmechanism applied to a shaft, such as an engine-shaft; Fig. 2, an endelevational view of the same; Fig. 3, a section taken as indicated atline 3 of Fig. 2; Eig. 4, a section taken as indicated at line i of Fig.3; Fig. 5, a broken detail view of a portion of a valve-operatingdevice; Fig. 6, a section taken as indicated at line 6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7a section taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 3; Fig. 8, a sectionalview of the casing, taken as indicated at line 8 of Fig. 3 and showingone set of vane-controlling ringsections employed; Fig. 9, a brokensection taken as indicated at line 9 of Fig. 4; and Eig. 10, aperspective View of one of the vanecontrolling ring-sections.

In the construction shown, the improved mechanism is shown applied toand constituting the balance-wheel of an engine-shaft.

A represents the engine-shaft, which constitutes a driving-shaft, thesame being supported in a bearing A B, my improved clutch mechanism, andO a driven shaft operated through the medium of the clutch mechanism.The clutch mechanism comprises a casing B, equipped with a removableplate Bf, connected with a disk B3, rigidly secured. on the end of theshaft A; a valve Bi, controlling a liquid-circuit t within the casing; ahub or sleeve B5, formed integrally with the non-removable side of thecasing; a valve-operating device B, mounted on the sleeve B5;

a core or head B7, confined in a port t' within the casing and equippedwith radially-slidable vanes 62, whose outer ends work within anoval-form chamber b3, forming a part of the liquid-circuit, and astub-shaft BS, formed integrally with one side of the core B', journaledin the sleeve B and provided with a squared socket receiving the squaredend of the shaft O. The casing-plate BZ has a ground plain inner surfacewhich forms a liquidtight joint with the body of the casing, the platebeing securely attached by cap-screws bf. On the inner surface of theplate B2 is formed a circular groove b5, which is eccentric to the coreB7, said core being concentric with its stub-shaft Bs and with the bodyof the casing. Directly opposite the circular groove l and concentrictherewith is a circular groove b, formed in the inner surface of thenon-removable side bl of the casing. Within the grooves 5' Z2 arering-sections L", provided with bearings t for lateral pins Z210, withwhich the vanes b2 are equipped. The core BT is provided with radialslots bu, which cross each other at the center of the core and which areopen at the side of the core adjacent to the plate B2, so that the plateB2 affords a coniining wall for the vanes at one lateral edge thereof. The slots 7; are of sufficient depth to receive the vanes, enough metalremaining at the other side of the core to form a connecting-web 512,which unites the sections bl, into which the grooves divide the core.The web W is provided with radial slots L, through which the pins 1 atthe corresponding edges of the vanes extend, the pins thereat being'longer than the pins at the opposite ends of the vanes, as shown. Thevane-actuating ring-sections bs are provided at their lateral surfaceswith longitudinally-extending grooves Z115, through which the oil maypass freely from one space between the ring-sections to another toenable the necessary relative movement between the ring-sections to takeplace. The valve B1 is located in a chamber formed in a bridge 1,crossing the liquid-circuit b. The bridge b1 has a concave surface L17,with which the core B7 is in close contact. The valve is equipped with astem bis, which protrudes through a stufiing-box at the non-removableside of the casing, and this stem is equipped with an arm 1, having alaterally- IOO turned end equipped with a ball Z220, joined to aconnecting-rod 521, as shown in Fig. 6. The connecting-rod b21 isprovided with enlarged hollow ends 622, equipped with movable threadedplugs Z222. A slot Z222 in one of the heads Z222 serves to admit the armZ219, an enlargement Z225 at the outer end of the slot enabling the ballto be entered. After the ball has been entered the plug 622 is turned into secure the ball against removal. The opposite end of theconnecting-rod is provided with a slot 62, provided with an enlargement522, the slot b2 being at right angles to the slot Z222. This slotreceives a headed arm Z22, connected with a shiftable ring 522, mountedon the sleeve B2. A shipping-lever baoserves as a medium for shiftingthe ring 522, and said ring is provided internally with studs 531, whichwork in cam-grooves Z222, with which the outer surface of the sleeve B5is provided. lt will be understood that when the ring 622 is shiftedlongitudinally of the sleeve B5 the cam connection will serve to rotatethe ring and through the medium of the connecting-rod Z221 will operatethe valve Bf. It is understood, of course, that the arms bw Z22S areuniversally connected with the connecting-rod by means of theconstruction described. The casing is equipped with an inlet-passage Zand a ventpassage (Z, which may be provided with any suitable closingmeans, enabling the clutch to be filled with oil or other liquid. Asuitable stufing-box Z 2 is provided for the stubshaft BS.

From the foregoing detailed description the manner of use will bereadily understood. Assuming power to be applied through the medium ofthe shaft A, the casing B will rotate with said shaft, and if the valveB1L be closed force will be transmitted from the bridge and the valvetherein through the medium of the liquid to the vanes of the inner head.inasmuch as there can be no yielding, assuming the construction to beperfect, the inner head will be locked to and rotate with the outer heador casing. Then it is desired to transmit slower motion to the shaft C,the valve B2 may be opened by shifting the ring 522, thereby enablingliquid to pass the valve. Under such conditions the inner head willrotate slower than the outer head or casing, its rate of rotationdepending upon the degree to which the valve is open. Should the valvebe wide open, so that there would be no effective resistance to thepassage of the liquid, the inner head would remain at rest while theouter head would continue to rotate.

Where the clutch mechanism is employed on the shaft of an engine as abalance-wheel, it is evident that the engine may be kept working at itsnormal speed and horse-power under any and all conditions by regulatingthe position of the circuit-controlling valve. This is of obviousadvantage in varioussituations,

among which may be mentioned the situation where it is sometimesdesirable to permit the engine to speed up to enable a pump connectedtherewith to do an increased amount of work, while the main workperformed by the engine, such as the propulsion of an automobile, isdiminished. This expedient enables the amount of water delivered to aboiler, for instance, to be regulated at will.

Other changes incident to my improved construction will readily occur tothose skilled in the art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In clutch mechanism, the combination with a casing having aliquid-circuit, a valve controlling said circuit, and internal circulargrooves, of a core within said casing eccentric to said circular groovesand equipped with slidable vanes, and ring-sections pivotally joined tosaid vanes and moving in said grooves, whereby the vanes are projectedand retracted as the casing and core move relatively to each other, forthe purpose set forth.

2. In clutch mechanism, the combination of a casing having ends equippedinternally with circular grooves, a core journaled in one end of saidcasing eccentric to said circular grooves, radially-movable vanesconnected with said core, relatively movable ring-sections located insaid grooves and pivotally joined to the lateral edges of said vanes,and a valved liquid-circuit into which said vanes are projected as thecasing and core move relatively to each other, for the purpose setforth.

3.v In a clutch, the combination of a casing having a liquid-circuit andhaving ends provided with internal circular grooves located oppositeeach other, one of said ends being removable, a core having a shaftjournaled in the non-removable casing end eccentrically with relation tosaid grooves, said core having radial slots open at one side of the coreand a web connecting the sections into which it is divided by saidradial slots, said web having radial slots, vanes located in saidfirst-named radial slots and having contact at one lateral edge with theremovable casing end and at the opposite edge with said web,ring-sections located in said circular grooves, pivots connecting saidring-sections with the lateral edges of said vanes, the pivots at oneside extending through said second-named radial slots, and a valvecontrolling the liquid-circuit, for the purpose set forth.

4. In clutch mechanism, the combination of a casing having a valvedliquid-circuit and provided with circular grooves, relatively movablering-sections in said grooves provided with liquid-passages, and a coreournaled in said casing and equipped with movable vanes connected withsaid ring-sections, for the purpose set forth.

IOO

IZO

ing-rod having universal connection with 1o said arms, and a corejournaled in said easing and equipped With movable varies, for thepurpose Set forth.

JOHN HARDING, JR.

In presence oL- GEO. CAMPBELL BROWN, J. ROY BooNE.

